Accra, Nov. 9, GNA - Mr Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, Minister of Tourism and Modernisation of the Capital City, on Wednesday said the Ministry had prepared a draft land use plan for the overall development of the Kintampo Waterfalls, which highlighted the opportunities for both public and private sector investments in tourism.

He said the Ministry was also working with the Kintampo District Assembly to construct a tourist receptive facility that would provide information office, souvenir shop, lavatories, eating-place and parking area.

Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey was responding to a question by Mr Stephen Kunsu, MP for Kintampo North, who wanted to know when Kintampo would be given a face-lift to befit its status as a tourist centre. The Minister said the planed activities demonstrated a commitment shown by the Ministry and its implementing agencies to ensure that tourists stayed longer and spent more money at Kintampo in particular and attraction sites at large.

Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey said in the strategic action tourism plan for 2003 to 2007, Kintampo was recognised as a tourist centre with the potential of attracting both international and domestic tourists. "The area's resource base includes the Kintampo, Fuller and Nante waterfalls, the Ampoma and Kurubi festivals, Kintampo and Kunsu slave markets, scenic rocks as well as being located at the geographical centre of Ghana."

The Minister said even though face-lifting Kintampo was not the responsibility of the Ministry, it had supported a number of development activities in the area as part of the measures to develop tourism in Kintampo.